Preparations to help Indian Country schools lauded
(April 14, 2006 – Denver, Colo.) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Administrator Robert E. Roberts presented EPA’s Environmental Achievement Award to the Roche Colorado Corporation’s Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign Team on Friday at the corporation’s offices in Boulder.
Roberts said, in presenting the award, “This Environmental Achievement Award is given in recognition of Roche Colorado Corporation’s Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign Team for its superior leadership, skill, creativity and dedication while working with EPA to develop a laboratory cleanout and pollution prevention program specifically tailored to meet the unique needs and circumstances of schools in Indian Country.”
In 2004, a team of engineers, scientists and health and safety specialists from Roche Colorado Corp. chose to work with EPA Region 8 on a voluntary project that would meet Roche’s goal of performing a community service under its Responsible CareŽ program. Responsible CareŽ is a program of the American Chemical Council designed to promote enduring member commitment to community cooperation and achieving its business vision of no accidents, injuries or harm to the environment.
Roche agreed to become a partner with EPA to create and help pilot test what became the Indian Country School Laboratory Hazard Consultation Program. During 2005 alone, Roche dedicated over 200 hours of staff time working with EPA. The Roche/EPA team has completed and pilot tested the program’s Chemical Inventory Survey Checklist and taken several other steps toward full implementation of the program
The program is designed to create a safer school laboratory environment in which chemicals are purchased wisely, stored safely, handled by trained personnel, used responsibly, and disposed of properly.
Achieving these objectives advances the Region’s strategic goals of providing direct implementation of EPA's environmental programs in Indian Country and building Tribal capacity.
The partnership with Roche also helps accomplish the national policies established in the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 and it advances the goals of the Resource Conservation Challenge, a national EPA initiative to find ways to conserve resources by challenging all Americans to prevent pollution and promote recycling and reuse of materials; reduce the use of toxic chemicals; and conserve energy and materials.
EPA Region 8 presents awards in four categories to individuals and groups. This award recognizes significant achievements in the protection of public health or the environment and in advancing the Agency’s strategic goals. Among the criteria is an outstanding contribution to environmental protection through a single action, or by an ongoing action over an appreciable period of time.